…flags off weeklong campaign against human trafficking

By Favour Ulebor & Favour Isaac, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, OON, has described human trafficking as a direct and visible threat to Nigeria’s national development.

She stated this on Thursday, during a press conference in Abuja to kick off a weeklong campaign marking the 2025 World Day Against Human Trafficking.

Speaking on this year’s theme, “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime – End the Exploitation”, the DG said the focus is to highlight the growing link between human trafficking and organised criminal networks.

She noted that traffickers now use migration routes, digital platforms, economic loopholes, and global supply chains to exploit victims across borders.

According to her, the agency has observed new and disturbing trends in human trafficking across Nigeria and West Africa.

These include fake job and scholarship offers used to lure young people, recruitment into online fraud commonly known as Yahoo-Yahoo, sextortion and revenge pornography, baby factories, and illegal organ harvesting.

She added that in some cases, women are tricked into accepting online loans and later forced into prostitution to repay.

She said the agency is now strengthening its cybercrime squad, working closely with the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime under the Federal Ministry of Justice, and increasing cooperation with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track and arrest traffickers.

Bello said that in the coming months, it will be very challenging for human traffickers in the country, adding that NAPTIP will increase coordination with both state and non-state actors to improve detection and reporting of trafficking cases.

As part of activities to mark the World Day Against Human Trafficking, Bello noted that a sensitisation walk is scheduled to hold across the FCT and NAPTIP offices nationwide on Monday, July 28.

Also, the National Stakeholders Consultative Forum, the week’s flagship event, will take place on Wednesday, July 30, with experts, survivors, government officials, and development partners expected to attend.

She further appreciated development partners including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Union, Kingdom of Netherlands, Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Leadway Assurance, and others.

In his remarks, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Toure, expressed strong support for Nigeria’s fight against trafficking.

Mr. Toure stressed that human trafficking is not a random or minor offence but a deliberate and organised crime driven by profit and built on the exploitation of the most vulnerable.

He commended NAPTIP for its leadership and outlined UNODC’s continued support for Nigeria through ongoing projects funded by the EU, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

He added that while these policies and interventions are crucial, more work is needed at the grassroots level to empower local communities and protect those most at risk.

He said, “Today, as we commence Nigeria’s national activities marking the 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July), I reaffirm UNODC’s unwavering solidarity with the Nigerian people in confronting the scourge of human trafficking.

“ Trafficking is not incidental crime, but a calculated, transnational enterprise profiting from the vulnerability of our women, children, and men. We must dismantle criminal networks through coordinated, cross-border action, strengthening justice, protecting victims, and holding perpetrators accountable.

“UNODC will deepen its partnership with Nigeria working with government, civil society, and survivors to shatter criminal empires, uplift victims, and build a future where no Nigerian is bought or sold.”

A representative from the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), Esther Michael, reaffirmed commitments to protecting the most vulnerable in society, stressing the importance of respecting the rights and survival of all citizens.

She pledged continued support for joint efforts in prevention, protection, and assistance for survivors, while emphasizing the need to ensure that traffickers are brought to justice.